The renovation project of the Xianyukou Hutong has achieved a perfect balance of both preserving the old style of Beijing and highlighting the modernity of the ancient city.

The traditional architecture in Xianyukou Hutong has been incorporated with new elements to appeal to a wider range of visitors.

This two-story building houses the time-honored brand Taixingju, which is famous for its sweet-and-sour hawthorn cakes. The unique after taste of the cakes has been lingering in the mouths of generations of people.

Wang Shiren, folk artist, said, "The renovation project strives to maintain what the alley was like in the first place. The core is to maintain the original height and the proportion of the architecture, and to repair it based on the parts left."

Xinghuayuan, another key architecture in Xianyukou, had been standing there witnessing the fast changes of the society for decades. The place was once the earliest bath center in the city where the locals of all walks of life converged upon the venue, taking a bath while chatting with friends to their hearts' content.

Xianyukou Hutong was listed as one of Beijing's key protection units in 2004. The more than 2-hundred meter long alley has become the symbol of old Beijing. With the supportive policy issued by the local government, the age-old street has been updated with new public infrastructure facilities.

Lying ahead is an arduous task for us all to carry on the historical cultures of the preceding generations.